Primary

                                                                   Mrs Leanne Schulz

Assistant Principal (Primary)

What a busy Term One it has been! It is wonderful to see all the new students, teachers and families settle in well to the College. Building positive relationships and ensuring that everyone belongs has been a priority in the Primary School. We have had many fun-filled learning experiences, such as KABOOM Tabloid House Sports, House collaborative activities, buddy sessions, excursions, the Swimming Carnival, House Cross Country, and Year 5/6 Sport for Cumberland. Teachers and students have been busy with a variety of learning experiences and assessments. Parent Teacher Interviews were a great way to finish off the term. We are ready for the term break and for the chance to relax and rejuvenate! 

It has been tremendous to see the positive behaviours displayed by our students in the classroom and in the playground. Students have been displaying the College values in a variety of ways and their positive behaviours have been acknowledged through our House token system and the random spinning wheel at Assembly. Our School Wide Positive Support framework and our behavioural expectation matrix are referred to and explicitly taught by the teachers to promote a safe and inclusive environment. 

I would like to thank the students for all their hard work this term, whether it be in the classroom or in the playground, as they learn to play together, compromise, negotiate and show respect, care and compassion. I would also like to thank the teachers for their dedication, passion and commitment to providing challenging learning experiences for the students in their care. Thank you also to our wonderful parents as your continued support of the school and staff is truly appreciated. 

Fairview Chapel and Assembly Trial Time Change 

From Term Two, we will trial a change of time for the Fairview Chapel and Assembly, moving it from Period 1 to Period 5 (2.15pm) on Monday afternoons. We are conducting this trial because we feel our younger students may benefit from starting the new week in their classroom with their teacher, setting their learning up with a positive start before the busyness of the school week commences.  

The Cumberland Chapel and Assembly will remain at 10.00am. 

Captain’s Concert 

How proud we are of the Primary students who performed at the Captain’s Concert in the Chapel and Performing Arts Centre. We had singers, dancers, actors and musicians entertaining us all night. It takes a lot of practice, perseverance, dedication, passion, and courage to perform in front of a large crowd. Well done and a huge thank you to the Performing Arts staff and Captains who made it a night to remember! 

Lilly and Samuel (Year 6 Primary Captains) 

The primary students have had an amazing start to the new school year as they have already gone on excursions such as Legoland with the Year 2 students, and Sovereign Hill with the Year 5 students. The Year 2s went to Legoland to learn what push and pull is, which is their learning objective for the term in class. The Year 5s went to Sovereign Hill to learn about immigration and the gold rush for their Integrated Studies project. Our Preps have had an awesome start to school year and have been settling in well. The Year 6 students have been awesome buddies to the Preps to welcome them to the school. 

The Year 6 students have been excited to jump into leadership roles. The primary school leaders were involved in an all-day leadership induction which included all the leaders throughout the College. In addition to these roles, many Year 6 students have been chosen to be Peer Support Leaders, Class Captains and Class Sustainability Leaders. We have conducted class meetings which resulted in many amazing suggestions which the primary school captains regularly present to the College Council.

Cumberland students had an amazing time participating in the Cross Country and Swimming events and we congratulate all the students who placed. Overall, it was a great effort by all participating students. Our interschool sports students in Years 5 and 6 have been having a great time competing against other schools in our area. 

Primary school students also had the privilege of being visited by Backflips Against Bullying which gave us all the tools we need to identify and deal with bullying. As a community, it's important we respect each other, and bullying is never acceptable. This was a super fun way to learn about a very serious topic and we hope all the students understand more about bullying. 

Overall, Term One has been jam packed with lots of fun for the primary students and we are all looking forward to a relaxing Easter break! 

Cross Country and Swimming Carnival 

Thank you to Mrs Dowling, Mrs McNamara, Mrs Pocervina, and the PE staff who organised the Cross Country and Swimming Carnival events. A great deal of time and effort goes into the smooth running of these carnivals, and it is greatly appreciated by all. The students thoroughly enjoyed participating in the events and were very proud of their contributions and achievements. 

Noah G - 6A

It was so amazing to see so many Aitken students participate in the swimming carnival. Congratulations to all the kids who got a ribbon or tried their hardest. Thankyou to the teachers who organised the swimming carnival and for letting us go on the water slides, I had so much fun. Students were given the opportunity to compete in 50 and 100 metre swims for butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Personally I was proud to get a PB in 2 of my strokes. 

Isabelle H - 6A

It was really great to see so many students doing many swimming races. Thank you for the opportunity to compete in the 50m and 100m swims. I am personally so proud to get 6 PB's in my strokes!

Millie S - 6M 

A few weeks ago we had Cross Country. As a Cross Country participant, I found the course a bit challenging. It’s a 2km course that lets you see the school yard a bit more than normal.  It was a nice sunny day, just a good day to run the course with friends. I was very nervous about it but before the course, I got warmed up e.g stretched and talked to my friends about how they were feeling and how I was feeling. It was a fun day and coming first place was awesome. This is my personal experience and perspective. So to children out there, keep on going and follow your dreams! You can do anything you set your mind to!  

Max C - 4I 

On Wednesday 6 March I ran in the Cumberland Cross Country for 3km, against all the other boys in my year level. I ran against really fast boys and It was very hard. I then made it to the finish line and came first. I really enjoyed my day and I was very proud of myself.

Sarah D, (Sports Captain) - 6A

The swimming carnival was a vibrant spectacle of athleticism and camaraderie, where swimmers of all ages and abilities converged to showcase their skills and spirit. From the crack of dawn, the poolside buzzed with energy as participants warmed up, stretching muscles and focusing minds for the challenges ahead. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the first races commenced, each lane a flurry of determined strokes and graceful dives. Spectators, perched eagerly on the edge of their seats, cheered on their favorites, their voices mingling with the sounds of splashing water and rhythmic breathing. Throughout the day, the pool became a stage for thrilling competitions and heart-pounding finishes, with every swimmer pushing their limits and leaving it all in the water. Amidst the fierce competition, bonds of friendship and sportsmanship flourished, creating a sense of community that transcended mere victory or defeat. As the sun dipped below the horizon, marking the end of another unforgettable carnival, the echoes of cheers and the memories of triumphs would linger on, inspiring all who had been a part of the exhilarating experience. 

Mrs Natasha Radley (Head of Year Prep)

The first term of Prep was a wonderful term packed full of learning, fun and new friends. The Prep teachers and I are so proud of all the students and the amazing learning they have done this term. Some Prep students have shared below what they have enjoyed or learnt in Prep.

PREP H:

• Elina D: I have learned about shapes and I love playing with playdough.
• Benji G: I have learned about the new word of the week. The new word of the week this week is “net”.
• Zulfikar J: I learned more about numbers.
• Elon K: I have learned how to spell the word of the week and sound out words.
• Arabella C: I like doing drawings and Art.

PREP C:

• Nitish G: I love playing with my friends.
• Aaradhya A: I liked learning about the word of the week “sun” and making a sun.
• Victoria B: I liked learning about patterns- circle, love heart, circle, love heart is a pattern.
• Lenni C: I liked learning new words because I was reading them.
• Gabriel Y: I like to write and play cars.

PREP F:

• Armaan G: I liked learning the words of the week.
• Niyamat S: I like learning handwriting.
• River B: I liked learning the word of the week “sun”.
• Indi W: I like all of the learning.
• Adam P: I love recess.
• Kris O: Learning and playing with blocks and going outside.

The THRASS Dress up day was a hit this week. The costumes were great. It was fun getting to dress up and learn more about the THRASS chart!

Could I please remind parents that if your child would like to bring a birthday treat in for their friends, it can only be a lollipop. Thank you for your understanding.

I wish all of you a very Happy Easter and a wonderful holiday. See you and your children next term ready for more fun and learning.

Mrs Joanne Birchmore (Head of Years 1 & 2)

It’s hard to believe the end of the term is upon us. It’s been an amazing term full of learning and fun. This term has seen old friends enjoy each other’s company, new friendships forming, and many adventures being had by all.

In Mathematics, the Year 1 students have enjoyed working on showcasing their knowledge of counting forwards and backwards from zero to one hundred, skip counting, making 10 using various hands-on materials and much more. Continuing these fundamental skills throughout the holidays, through playing games such as Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders or Uno, will be great for your child.

In writing, the students have been very busy refining their knowledge on using When, Who, What, Why, the use of time connectives to order events, and reading back their writing to check if it makes sense. We have seen a great improvement in writing since the first week of school, and many students are also amazed at their own progress! 

The use of positive self-talk and understanding the ‘power of yet’ have been a major focus of the Integrated Studies unit. Students have looked at how important having a growth mindset is for them, knowing they can continue to improve, even if they don’t know how to achieve something initially. 

Religious Values Education has focused on Prayer and the most important aspect of the Christian faith – Easter, including the role disciples played in the life of Jesus, the road to Holy Week and the reasons why Jesus died. Students were engaged and respectful throughout their lessons, reflecting on how they can show the values of a disciple in their lives today. They made the connection that the values they thought disciples possessed, were also many of our school values. 

When asked, "What have you enjoyed about being in Year 1 so far?", some students shared the following:  

• Making new friends – Toby L 1D 
• Making new friends and writing because it is so much fun – Grace R 1D 
• Learning new things like counting by 2s, 10s and 5s – Aidan A 1B 
• There is so many things that have been fun for me this term – Penelope S 1D 
• Doing lots of different and exciting things in art – Haroun S1R 
• Learning work that is a bit harder for me – Mia F 1R

The children in Year 2 have had an equally exciting term learning everything from skip counting, to making bubble wands and finishing the term off with our amazing excursion to Legoland. 

In Mathematics, the students have been investigating how to partition numbers using place value, MABs and Think boards. 

While working on English, students have continued to improve upon their basic recount to a more complex one containing nouns, verbs and adjectives. They have completed many drafts and have also seen a positive improvement from the beginning of the year. As they read, students have been learning about the importance of inferring to gain a greater knowledge of the text and understand what is happening as we read 'between the lines' based on the clues in the story and their own prior knowledge.

The most exciting subject that has sent the whole year level buzzing, is Integrated Studies. Here the students were immersed into hands-on learning by researching, designing, creating and testing their own bubble wands to demonstrate the action of push and pull throughout the 'Forces' unit. This ended with a fantastic excursion to Legoland in Chadstone, where some of the students have shared their highlights: 

I really loved going to Lego City and going into the glass dome where I could see all around the city. The pedal ride went up really high the harder we pedalled, and it was so much fun, but it was kind of scary too! We also went on another ride where we had to use our lasers to shoot Lego skeletons and spiders. Legoland was so much fun! – Ben R 2A 

I liked the pedal ride, but I was screaming loudly because I was scared. I liked the 4D movie where it looked like everything was coming out and touching us. We went into a workshop where we made little Lego cars to teach us about push and pull forces. It was a really fun day and I loved going to Legoland. – Sofia O 2A

At LEGOLAND I had a blast on the rides. One ride you had to peddle quickly to get higher. I peddled so fast that my legs hurt after. – Harvey M 2H 

I loved the 4D movie at LEGOLAND because it blew wind and sprayed water on us. The characters looked like they were coming out of the screen. – Ariana G 2H

Finally, wishing you and your family a blessed Easter and a restful and safe holiday break. We'll see you in Term 2! 

Mrs Anne Adams (Head of Years 3 & 4)

The term has gone fast but looking back we had packed a lot in! Here are some comments from Years 3 and 4. 

YEAR 3 REFLECTIONS

NAPLAN 

I loved NAPLAN as I like challenging myself and figuring out stuff. My favourite was Maths. It was pretty challenging, but I kept going. Joaquin E - 3A

I like NAPLAN because it helps our brains get more knowledge and the cool thing is that you get to do it on your iPad. My favourite was Numeracy because I’m good at maths and have a passion for it. Gunieve P - 3R

BACKFLIPS AGAINST BULLYING

Luca and Emily taught us about how bullying is bad. They showed us examples of how bullying makes people feel. They also taught us that we shouldn’t bully people. I liked the big flip at the end of the show. Luca flipped over fifteen people and one teacher! Melissa H - 3A

I really liked backflips against bullying because I got to go up on stage. Luca did a backflip over me and he stole the book while he was upside down! He taught me to stick up for my friends. Jesse A - 3R 

CROSS COUNTRY

I am in Cameron and I ran in the Cross Country around the school. We had to run from the oval to the farm and back. I ran the whole way! I came eighth place and I am not sure if I go to district cross country yet. Frankie B - 3W 

I like Cross Country because it was enjoyable, we got to exercise and it was a little competitive but not too much. I am in Cameron. I made it to the end and I ran the whole way! Elena J - 3R 

SWIMMING

I swam in the Aitken College Swimming Carnival. I did backstroke. It was really fun and my legs were shaking because I was kicking really fast in the cold water! I came fourth and I was proud of my race. We got to go on the water slide and play in the water park after we finished. Aleah N - 3W 

SUN, MOON, EARTH 

We have been learning about the Sun, Moon and Earth. It was really fun. We got to share our ideas and facts about the Sun, Moon and Earth. Did you know that it takes 365 days to orbit the Sun? When light shines on us, it can’t go through us and a shadow is made. We are opaque! Dorian L - 3W 

PLANETARIUM 

We were in the Science dome or the planetarium. Nick showed us the Earth, Sun and Moon and clips about people investigating how Earth, Sun and moon interact. For example, every time the Earth revolves around the sun, he showed us how the axis is titled which makes seasons. Scientists say that something hit the Earth and that’s why it is tilted. Ata D - 3A 

YEAR 4 REFLECTIONS

BACKFLIPS AGAINST BULLYING

We saw the acrobats perform their flips in Backflips Against Bullying. Luca and Emily pretended to be bullies and to be bullied. They talked about bullying with the students and how to react to bullying. Also why bullies, bully. I thought is was a great experience. Jake M - 4N 

CROSS COUNTRY

All our houses competed in the Cross Country at Aitken College. I did really well and came 18th. Last year, I came second last so I am really proud of myself. My house is Millar. I am also proud of all my friends as they did really well too. Adalynn M - 4N  

At the Cross Country I came tenth! I am in Millar house. I ran, jogged and walked the whole way and it was a hot day! Ava G - 4I 

SWIMMING

I competed in the Aitken College swimming carnival. My events were freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke. At first I was really terrified because it was a while since I had raced against other people. I came first place in all of them! I went to the swimming district competition. I came third in freestyle and fourth in breaststroke. Roy J - 4M 

In the Aitken College swimming carnival, I did backstroke, freestyle and breast stroke. I came second overall in my year level. I didn’t go on the water slide because I was trying to save my energy for the races. Jasmine G - 4I 

WATER WATCH

We went to the Science labs in the Secondary School and looked at water samples under the microscope. I saw lots of different bugs. I saw boatmen bugs that looked like shrimp and a leech! We recorded the bugs we found. Some bugs can survive in really dirty water and others don’t survive in dirty water. The water from Brodie’s Creek was a bit dirty as some of the bugs had died. Olivia K - 4M 

KITCHEN GARDEN

Every second week we have gardening and then kitchen. So far we have made zucchini muffins, bruschetta and then a pumpkin pastry. In the garden we were split into half, so half the class were propagating seeds and the other half were weeding. I like cooking the best. My favourite dish was the bruschetta because I love the bread we used. I also love feeding the chickens. We have the food in a bucket and we throw it over the fence. They come to one spot and start to peck. Taj F - 4M 

I love Kitchen Garden. In the kitchen we cooked bruschetta. It is an Italian food. It has tomato, basil and bread I haven’t made it at home yet. I have learnt the claw and the bridge cut. This is how you make your fingers when you cut things with a knife. Adam C - 4I 

HARMONY DAY

Harmony Day was last Thursday. My friends and I all wore dresses which are called a ‘Ghara Suit.’ There are also ‘Lehenga Choli’ dresses which have the crop top and a long skirt. Mine was a basic legging with the dress. It was coloured blue and a little bit yellow. My background is Indian, from the North of India. My hair was braided with traditional hair extensions called ‘Prandi’. We danced at recess with my friends. I was going to perform but the bell rang. We had a great day and we shared our culture in the classroom. We also got a token each for dressing up! Mehreen S - 4N

Mrs Jane Steenkamp (Head of Years 5 & 6)

YEAR 5

Wow, I can hardly believe the term has already come to an end!  They do say time flies when you are having fun and that is what Year 5 have been doing! In Term One, Year 5 students engaged in a diverse range of learning experiences across various subjects. In Maths, they delved into multiplication, division, and statistical questioning, honing their problem-solving skills. In English, students revised narrative writing techniques and prepared for NAPLAN. They have also read the novel 'Detention,' to enhance their comprehension abilities. Integrated Studies explored push and pull factors related to Migration to Australia, fostering an understanding of historical and social contexts. Not forgetting the rich experience of visiting Sovereign Hill to be immersed in life back in “those days”. In Religious and Values Education (RVE), the focus was on spirit-filled service, encouraging students to reflect on their role in the community. STEM education introduced the design process and coding, promoting creativity and technological literacy. Additionally, students explored various art and performing arts activities, enriching their creative expression. Here is what some of our Year 5 students have to say about their learning this term. 

Zahara K, 5A 

In 5A Integrated Studies, we have been learning about the Gold Rush and Australian Immigration History. We have learned about push and pull factors as well. The Gold Rush was caused by a pull factor which means that people who have migrated to Australia during the Gold Rush have migrated by choice and came because they were in search of making their fortune or starting a business. The Gold Rush was set in Ballarat, 1851 and lots of people were discriminated against especially Chinese and dark-skinned people having to pay extra because they were clever and know how to find the gold easily. During the Gold Rush miners still had to pay even if they did not find gold with the miner license. Also, around 500,000 people migrated to Australia trying to make their fortune.

Ruby G, 5A 

In RVE, I liked learning about people who have served us like Princess Diana and Abraham Lincoln, but most importantly Anne Frank. We did this in RVE. It was fun, and I learned so many facts about her like how her real name is Annelie. Her story was so sad but now we can learn about how brave she was and see what it was like for her.  I loved how she had so much courage and that’s what I liked about this term.

Adeesha G, 5T 

As the term went on, the Year 5’s learnt many new and exciting things, but what I think was most memorable was Intergraded Studies. We learnt about migration, and different push and pull factors. This included war, poverty and persecution as push factors and education, fair governments and job opportunities as pull factors. We went to Sovereign Hill and learnt many interesting facts about the history of gold in Victoria and learnt that gold was a pull factor, all the while exploring the great town of sovereign Hill. Learning about migration was very exciting, and I am sure the year 5’s won’t forget this topic.

Saige R, 5T 

In Year 5 we have been learning about data in Maths. We have been asking our class questions like “How many people migrated to Australia?” I enjoyed learning about how to create and read graphs.

Sze Sze L, 5M

In Integrated Studies we interviewed an immigrant born somewhere else rather than Australia that we knew. We created a PowerPoint with the information we found on the person we chose. We wrote paragraphs based on the following topics: The arrival, an introduction, fears and difficulties, things the person we interviewed was excited about, traditions they brought from overseas—their home country—and changes. Some of us also compared our chosen person’s smooth/rough journey with another person’s opposite journey. It was a fun project that stretched across a few lessons, and after we wrote everything, we could use transitions, photos, effects, etc. It was a great and exciting experience and I can’t wait to do more in Integrated Studies.

Heerat A, 5M 

In STEM, 5M have been learning to program robots for our Year 1 buddies. Our Year 1 buddies are learning about open and closed questions and then they will be asking our robots closed questions then the robots will respond. When our robots greet the Year 1’s they will say hello and we can program them to move as well, when they are leaving our robots will say bye and we can control their actions. When our Year 1 buddies ask the closed questions we will program our robots to say yes or no by making it do actions e.g. (if I clap the robot will spin around in 3 circles).We will have to be careful to make sure our buddies don’t notice that we are programming the robots and make them believe they are moving by themselves.

YEAR 6

On Wednesday 20 March, our very excited Year 6 Peer Support students participated in a special training session as part of the Peer Support program. This program prepares them to work closely with our Prep students throughout the year, fostering positive relationships and providing support as mentors. The training session focused on developing key skills such as communication, empathy and leadership, equipping our Year 6 students with the tools they need to be effective peer supporters. We are excited about the opportunities this program will bring for our students to learn from and support each other, creating a supportive and inclusive school community. Below are some comments from some our future Peer Support leaders about the activities they took part in on the day. 

Jake E, 6P

In my Peer Support training I found out ways to help Preps become better versions of themselves and how to show them what is right from wrong. I also learnt how to be a good role model to the Preps. I feel happy, excited and privileged to work with the Preps and be a positive role model. 

Millie S, 6M 

Peer Support is something only Year 6 students do. 30 Year 6 students were selected as a Peer Support Leader based on an application we handed in. It helps us to improve our leadership skills and at the same time we get to help the new Preps feel more welcome at school and also helps them with their learning. At the Peer Support training session, we got a booklet with learning activities such as: Group Agreements, Relationship Building, Empathy, Decision making and Communication just to name a few. After we went through all of the activities we got another book. This book was the Activity Manual about what we will do with the Preps. Some of the activities included: What makes a good friend? And we learnt about what makes a good friend and we completed an activity sheet. Peer Support is in Term 2 and runs for 10 weeks. And if your child is doing Peer Support, you don’t need to worry because you child is in good hands! 

Kemindi I, 6M 

In Peer Support we learnt during the full day of training about how it is important to be the best and most effective leader you can be and not be so controlling. In Peer Support we will take care of the Preps in a group of 5-6 with other student leaders. We will have to be in-charge of Preps and lead the group successfully and effectively. The day of the training we had Mr Keegan to train us. Everyone that got picked were the best of the best. And if we need any help, we talk to the teacher, but the school is so organised and gave us booklets for each session. We get to choose who we want to work with and if we don’t Mr Keegan will choose for us, so this will suit all our needs. As Peer Support leaders we must be concerned with other people’s needs. We are all so excited to lead and work with Preps and we are all humbled to be chosen.

Eve T, 6A 

Thirty students from Year 6 have been selected as a Peer Support Leader, which will commence in Term 2. On Wednesday 20 March the selected students attended a Peer Support training session. In this training we played and practised various activities, such as bonding as a group, decision making skills, problem-solving and more. Topics that were covered during the session were, the definition of leadership, communication, active listening, empathy, assertiveness, facilitation and perseverance. There was a lot of group activities to put our skills to the test on how to be a great and affective Peer Support Leader. Towards the end of the day, we all gathered in a circle and anonymously wrote nice affirmations about one another, congratulations to everyone that has been chosen to be a Support Leader!

Carlo H, 6A

In Peer Support we learnt about respect, kindness and organisation to get ready for the Preps that we are going to teach. As part of Peer Support we looked over our schedule of what we were going to do with the Preps. We played some games that helped us with getting along and we all learnt at least something.

Navigating Friendship Conflict 

Every parent wants their child to feel safe, happy and have friends. It is so important to allow your child to gain independence and resilience as they navigate the social world at school. Knowing how to support your child when they have social conflict is a fine balance by providing advice, or more importantly, having conversations that role model problem-solving and help them with the tools to communicate their needs with others. When there is conflict at school amongst peers there is usually many perspectives to the situation. Please be careful not to jump to conclusions, judge other people’s children, or air your opinion on chat groups. Parents and teachers can work together to ensure that all children feel safe and are treated respectfully by others.  

Please enjoy this article from Happy Families by DR JUSTIN COULSON 

The How-To's of Healthy Parenting

The Primary staff and I wish you all a safe and restful term break and look forward to seeing you all refreshed and ready for Term Two!